The invention relates to a forged garden fork with a plurality of tines projecting from a back or top tine support, said tines tapering to a point and being provided on their rear sides with a raised profile running lengthwise.
A garden fork of the type described hereinabove has the advantage over a spade that it can be thrust more easily into the ground. In many cases, a garden fork of this type will penetrate the ground without the user's foot being required, as would be the case in forcing a spade into the ground by the user placing his weight on the spade and forcing it into the ground.
An object of the invention is to improve a garden fork of the type described hereinabove in such manner that on the one hand its penetration into the ground is further facilitated, while on the other hand material savings are achieved, so that handling is made easier by greater ease of penetration and lower weight, and manufacture is made less expensive because of the weight and material savings.
This object is achieved by virtue of the fact that a depression running lengthwise is provided in the front side of each tine, said depression becoming deeper and/or wider with increasing distance from the top tine support, said depression also tapering and ending at a distance from the tapering bottom points of the respective tine.
This design makes possible a considerable savings in weight since the tines can be so designed by virtue of this depression that their cross-sectional shape and cross-sectional area are adjusted to the required section modulus which is maximum in the area of the transition to the top tine support and then decreases toward the bottom tip. In addition, the tines and points are undercut, so that penetration of the garden fork is facilitated, because the earth can spread out in the depression.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the depression extends across the full width of the tine, along approximately 1/3 the length of the tine. This full width depression is advantageous to prevent the turned-up earth from clinging to the tines of the fork.
In advantageous preferred embodiments it is provided that the depression has an essentially triangular or round cross section. A depression of this kind is easily produced by forging. It is also advantageous to have the walls of the projecting profile on the rear side run approximately parallel to the walls of the depression. This also has a positive effect upon the penetration resistance.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a single embodiment in accordance with the present invention.